Good news for people who suffer from Multiple Sclerosis, an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord.

The federal government has announced they will fund the controversial liberation treatment for the disease - a process that involves opening veins in a persons neck to increase blood flow.

Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq announced funding for Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials following consultation with a scientific working group.

While the federal government is moving ahead with MS trials, the first province to pledge clinical trials of the controversial treatment says there's a setback.

Saskatchewan Health Minister Don McMorris says one proposal was received to test liberation therapy, but the proposal didn't meet criteria set by an expert panel from the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation.